John Palen - Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

Professor: John Palen

Department: Journalism

College: Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I took this class because I'm a JRN minor. I already have writing experience so it was ridiculously easy and very boring. Palen is a nice guy, but if you already know how to write a decent news story, it's so boring. It's an easy A, but don't take it if you have been writing for a few years because you'll dread it.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is a super great prof, really nice and helps you develop your skills w/o being condescending. The speed stories sucked but helped my writing SO much. I definitely owe Palen for making me a better writer.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Really didn't find him helpful. Had a dumb book summary to do, wasn't useful at all. Pretty easy grader on most of the papers, but is big stiffler on accuracy, VERY BIG ON IT. If you even get one thing wrong on anything, he'll mark you down ot a D. The class isn't that hard, but his overall effectiveness is not high at all. Avoid if you can.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: JRN300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Palen was my JRN advisor back in the 90's when I was getting my minor in Journalism. He's a decent teacher, the classes are hard, but so is being a journalist. I'm not one now, but I haven't forgotten what he taught me.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I found Palen to be fair and helpful. I learned a lot about newswriting from him. Though I dreaded gathering and writing a story in an hour, it really was helpful. I would recommend taking his class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class is a breeze, and completely boring. Dr. P is a super nice guy with a sense of humor, if you can stay awake through the lecture to hear it. Good guy, pointless class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A complete moron. Has no idea what he is ever talking about. Constantly tells students to do one thing and then later says something else. Palen is a very biased professor who shouldn't be teaching at all.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easy, just do the work. Duh. And speed assignments are to prepare you to be able to write for quick turn around as some 'real-life' stories are.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Never take a M,W,F...Fridays he will make you go out and do a "speed story" and it is so annoying because you only have 50 minutes to do it. He will give you a "D" on a paper if you forget an apostrophe in a name like "Harpers Bizzare"...he needs to lighten up!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: JRN404316
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He knows what he's talking about.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Extremely smart, but not helpful at all. Impossible to get help on stories. Famous for saying "Don't write what they talked about, write what they said." He's just frustrating

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: JRN
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Excellent professor. I have learned more from him than any journalism professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Nice, nice guy. Really, really boring class. Rarely takes attendance. This class should be terminated from the JRN department. If you don't know the things we discuss-you shouldn't be in a 500 level class. Just another example of the worthless JRN program at CMU.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class is cake, whoever thinks this class is hard has got to be smoking something

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dr. Palen seems intimidating but is nothing to be scared of. He calls on people randomly in class, and you better be prepared to voice your opinion and back it up. The final paper is a simple paper, and the portfolio is just stuff from other classes.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: JRN202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The most honest man at CMU. He has a big heart and knows that accidents happen. He will let you slide once or twice, but make sure you save those get out of jail free cards

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Doesn't give students a chance to take his class when they are clearly qualified to take. He over exaggerates on how hard work is.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: JRN500
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I've had him for a prof a few times, and I really like him. He's a really smart guy and you could really learn a lot from him.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: JRN312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a typical kind old prof. He knows a lot and will always be there to lend students advice. Kinda boring, but really nice, understanding and smart.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: JRN
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I've had him a lot, he's nice and his classes are interesting...take him